Guest viewing limit reached
  • You have reached the maximum number of guest views allowed
  • Please register below to remove this limitation

bench won't go up!

whodey41

New member
Been training on and off for years. Never really seriously but just as something I enjoy. My bench is stuck I'm having trouble getting it up. I've tried drop sets, and anything else I can think of. Any tips on breaking through a wall on bench?
 
do a speed/dymanic effort (ex. 10x3 at 60% of 1RM) day rest 3 days and then do a max effort (4-10 heavy singles or 6-16 heavy doubles) day. on the ME day use 40-60% or your speed day's volume. volume = weight x reps x sets.
 
def. bench more than once a week and never bench something you can lift more than 5x other than for warmup...do sets of 5,3,1rm..seems a little unorthadox but if your trying to go up you have to only lift heavy,(in my case anyway), and ive tried many different typesof workouts as well , and on your other workout days try to work on the same 5,3,1 basis with every muscle group, it will make your body more accustomed to the heavy weight and itll make maxing seem like a warmup before you know it. also try doing more of the classic lifts, bench, deadlift, rows, squats, military, all basic but very affective in strengthing the entire body.
 
do different reps each week, different workouts as well. do one week of chest of reps 12 - 20, next week hit reps 4-6, the next week hit reps 8-12. or try DC training
 
Train your rhomboids and middle traps.

Chances are you don't have the scapula stabilizing strength to take advantage of the length-tension relationship in the pecs when benching.

Br
 
whodey41 said:
Been training on and off for years. Never really seriously but just as something I enjoy. My bench is stuck I'm having trouble getting it up. I've tried drop sets, and anything else I can think of. Any tips on breaking through a wall on bench?
Click to expand...

Are you training for size or strength? Are you failing at your chest, or at the lockout portion of the motion?

Do you fall into the trap of doing the same workout/rep scheme all the time for chest?

Nutrition may also be your limiting factor, are you eating a high protein diet?
 
Agree with the above. Work out your weak point and work the hell out of it. If benching raw then it is most likely in the bottom third of the lift. Ultra wide 1-board bench for 2-3 sets of 5, pin presses from chest level, dynamic effort bench, heavy and deep dumbell work and a tonne of lat work should bring it up.
 
Invalid Link Removed

There's a very similar thread I responded to in depth. I hope it helps you and good luck
 
I've been changing up my reps every couple weeks. And I do eat a high protien diet, not a good diet, because I'm not trying to do competition or anything, but its high protien. I'm training for strength. I get stuck at the lockout every time.
 
If your stuck on lockout you should strengthen your triceps. I recomend close grip bench (heavy) also work on your Lats it is an overlooked part of benching.

Also high protein is great, make sure your in a calorie surplus to allow your muscles to grow/recover. Protein is not the only macro important to powerlifters/ body builders.
 
whodey41 said:
I've been changing up my reps every couple weeks. And I do eat a high protien diet, not a good diet, because I'm not trying to do competition or anything, but its high protien. I'm training for strength. I get stuck at the lockout every time.
Click to expand...

On triceps days try warming up the elbows a little by starting with the triceps pushdowns as your first exercise - that will also pre-fatigue your triceps for your main lifts. Doing close grip/dips or any other major triceps motion with pumped warm triceps will make you feel the tri's working much more. For your second exercise set a smith machine up with maybe 20% less than you normally bench press and set up the safeties 3 inches or so above your chest. I'd go with a shoulder width thumbless grip and rep out the top half of the close grip bench press motion with elbows tucked in. Don't lock the elbows fully at the top but make sure to pause for a moment - likewise don't let the safeties take the weight at the bottom of the motion because that allows the triceps to rest.

As a way to change it up, you can "run the rack" on that same exercise - basically start at a light weight and do only 4 reps. Stand up, add weight to each side and do 4 reps. Continue this until you can't perform 4 reps of that weight , and work your way back down (this is all with no rest, only a few seconds to change the weight and shake the arms out). I'd only do that for 1 run, then move onto another exercise. For example, I'd start with 135lb and do 4 reps, then add a 10lb plate to each side (155lb) for four reps then a plate, and so on and so forth until I couldn't get 4 reps.

I'd do a couple more exercises for triceps to follow, but that second one will be a great way to move past the top phase of the bench press safely even if you have no spotter.
 
I've been really doing tris the past few weeks, I do thinks its been helping my bench finally seems to be getting better. I couldn't go up because I didn't have a spotter but the weight I did seemed lighter, so really hope I start climbing. I will for sure start adding a lot of this to my routine still, thanks for all the tips.
 
Wedgyx reminded me. Weighted dips played a huge part in breaking plateaus on bench press. Especially If you don't have a spotter lean over when doing dips so it's more similar to benching. You can always push off with a toe on the ground to get an extra rep or push just that little bit heavier.
 
I work out at the fire station weight room with one of the firefighters because I'm from a horrible town and the closest gym is 30 mins away, and I don't have the gas to drive that every day. There is nothing to do chest dips on, and also no smith machine.
 
whodey41 said:
I work out at the fire station weight room with one of the firefighters because I'm from a horrible town and the closest gym is 30 mins away, and I don't have the gas to drive that every day. There is nothing to do chest dips on, and also no smith machine.
Click to expand...

That's a shame my friend I am sorry. I say hit close grip bench heavy. Also you talked about changing up rep ranges but what about timing.

Try changing the tempo. Slow on the negative hold for 3 seconds and explode. Negatives have a place in my training for breaking plateaus but I don't do them on the reg. You did mention no spotter so negatives may not work.

Another little fun game I play is pick a number. Example 50. I will warm up till 225 lbs and try and get 50 reps in as few sets as I can. 18,14,10,8 for example. This was my method to increasing my pull ups. I wouldn't leave the gym till I got 50. At first I was doing single pull ups trying to finish all 50.
 
Dumbell Work
Upper Back work (lats, rear delts, traps)
Get some chains/bands to change the strength curve so the top of the lift is heavier then the bottom.
Board Presses
Tricep Work (Tate Presses, Rollling tricep ext, pushdowns, ect)
Get stronger at the standing overhead press
 
MM11 said:
That's a shame my friend I am sorry. I say hit close grip bench heavy. Also you talked about changing up rep ranges but what about timing.

Try changing the tempo. Slow on the negative hold for 3 seconds and explode. Negatives have a place in my training for breaking plateaus but I don't do them on the reg. You did mention no spotter so negatives may not work.

Another little fun game I play is pick a number. Example 50. I will warm up till 225 lbs and try and get 50 reps in as few sets as I can. 18,14,10,8 for example. This was my method to increasing my pull ups. I wouldn't leave the gym till I got 50. At first I was doing single pull ups trying to finish all 50.
Click to expand...

I never really change my timing so I'll give that a try. I usually have a spotter just sometimes he cant make it. I will for sure do the number thing with different things.
 
SweetLou321 said:
Dumbell Work
Upper Back work (lats, rear delts, traps)
Get some chains/bands to change the strength curve so the top of the lift is heavier then the bottom.
Board Presses
Tricep Work (Tate Presses, Rollling tricep ext, pushdowns, ect)
Get stronger at the standing overhead press
Click to expand...

I do tricep and upper back and overhead press. I don't have any chains or bands so I will have to try to find them.
 
Rodja said:
What exactly do you do for them? Also, how much can you DB/BB row?
Click to expand...

Upper back I do bbell rows, face pulls, t bar rows and I do different rows on the pully machine. Triceps I've been doing close grip, skull crushers, dumbell extensions, and pulldowns. I did 185 3 sets of 8 last time I did bbell rows.
 
whodey41 said:
Upper back I do bbell rows, face pulls, t bar rows and I do different rows on the pully machine. Triceps I've been doing close grip, skull crushers, dumbell extensions, and pulldowns. I did 185 3 sets of 8 last time I did bbell rows.
Click to expand...

There's your problem: you need a much stronger back.
 
What would a solid row be? I'm 6'0 175. A problem I have doing rows and deadlifts is I don't have good grip, I broke a bone in my hand and it never healed right and my grip is crap. Anything I can do to get more hand strength?
 
If you want a big bench, you need a big row. Use Fat Gripz to help with hand and grip strength. I use wrist straps on my heavy back lifts.
 
Stop benching for 2-4 weeks. Do some other variation of a chest dominant press. Your bench max may decrease slightly, but you can be guaranteed that there won't be significant atrophy since you'll still be hitting your chest with other movements, and once you get back to bench, it will likely be easier to push through the plateau you're stuck on now.
 
I say get rid of the spotter and put 10lbs more than you have ever done and Just DO IT. This way there is nothing to do but LIFT IT cause if ya don't you get hurt or you slide weights off one side and look like a JO ....JUST DO IT
 
ozarkaBRAND said:
Stop benching for 2-4 weeks. Do some other variation of a chest dominant press. Your bench max may decrease slightly, but you can be guaranteed that there won't be significant atrophy since you'll still be hitting your chest with other movements, and once you get back to bench, it will likely be easier to push through the plateau you're stuck on now.
Click to expand...

This is really good advice. Really big benchers do not do full-range bench every week; they rotate their ME movement amongst floor presses, board presses, pin presses, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top